'Luscious Ladies' ready to bring laughter to Mohegan Sun

Christina Hennessy

Published 3:50 pm, Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Greenwich, Conn. comic Jane Condon will be among a trio of comics perfoming at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn., on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2013, at 9 p.m. For more information, visit http://www.treehousecomedy.com.
Photo: Contributed Photo

Greenwich, Conn. comic Jane Condon will be among a trio of comics...

Greenwich, Conn. comic Jane Condon will be among a trio of comics perfoming at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn., on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2013, at 9 p.m. For more information, visit http://www.treehousecomedy.com.
Photo: Contributed Photo

Greenwich, Conn. comic Jane Condon will be among a trio of comics...

New York City-based comic Caroled Montgomery will be among a trio of comics perfoming at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn., on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2013, at 9 p.m. For more information, visit http://www.treehousecomedy.com.
Photo: Contributed Photo

New York City-based comic Caroled Montgomery will be among a trio...

New Jersey-based comic Sara Contreras will be among a trio of comics perfoming at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn., on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2013, at 9 p.m. For more information, visit http://www.treehousecomedy.com.
Photo: Contributed Photo

It was the type of stunt that tends to draw a motherly reprimand, which put Jane Condon in a kind of ironic situation.

"I decided I would sleep in my car to get my audition," the Greenwich resident said last week.

She was recalling her efforts to get on to Season 5 of NBC's "Last Comic Standing," in 2007. She knew if she could get in early to see the judges, she would have a shot. So, with her husband out of town and her children safe and sound at home with a babysitter, she spent a night on the streets in New York City.

It turned out to be a good decision. After a successful first appearance, she was asked back and although she wasn't the ultimate winner, she eventually became an audience favorite in the competition.

"That really, really launched me," she said. "That gave me great national credit."

By the time she was playing to industry judges, however, Condon had been trying out her material on local audiences for many years, although not always at the typical venues.

"I was a good person to sit next to at a dinner party," she said, laughing.

She also found an audience at such events as Little League and soccer games, as she watched her children on the fields. Eventually, she would make the leap to the stage, refining her talents with appearances in Norwalk as part of Treehouse Comedy Productions comedy nights.

It is under the auspices of Treehouse that Condon will be performing as part of a trio of comics at the Cabaret Theatre at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville on Saturday, Sept. 7. She is part of bill that includes Carole Montgomery and Sara Contreras.

Although the show is billed "Luscious Ladies of Laughter," all three stand-up comics said funny is funny, no matter the gender. Still, it's difficult not to let personal experience shape one's humor.

"I tend to like a lot of comedians who also are moms," Condon said. "They have been through a lot and have a lot to say."

One need only look at Montgomery's Twitter nom de plume (@nationalmom) to see motherhood is one of the passions in her life, too.

"My hero was Richard Pryor," said Montgomery, who has appeared on numerous television programs. "My comedy is on that edge, that truth. I started when I was young and single and I talked about wanting to find a man and get married and then I got married and had the baby and I talked about that, and now he has left me and I talk about that."

With her son, Layne, out on his own, Montgomery, who lives in New York City, said she now has "a lot of time on my hands."

It means she can pursue some new paths, such as directing and producing, even as she keeps up with her comedy.

"Stand-up will always be my first love," said Montgomery, who got her start in the early 1980s.

Contreras got into stand-up by way of competition, upon the urging of a friend.

"She told me `you are the funniest person I know,' " said Contreras, who grew up in Brooklyn but now lives in New Jersey.

So, this licensed speech pathologist took a shot at stand-up, and more than 20 years later, she is still in the game.

She said she was "thrilled" that she would have a chance to share the stage with Condon and Montgomery.

"I'm in really good company, I feel really good about the show."

Given she is a mom, as well, she suspects there will be some similarities in the trio's comedy. However, she added that the beauty of stand-up is that each comic takes a distinct approach to his or her work.

"My writing has evolved," she said. "It's a lot smarter. I'm a lot smarter. It is a reflection of where I am in my life and the lessons I have learned."